tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8710239158568412548..comments2024-03-28T12:43:48.312-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Idaho motto word / THU 3-2-17 / Winger of "Shadowlands" / Muslim minority / Ice hockey's Robitaille / Deck with a Justice card / Issa of comedy / Ancient IranianRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37108463294504111232017-04-08T16:21:58.811-04:002017-04-08T16:21:58.811-04:00I agree with Pete's assessment. This was one ...I agree with Pete's assessment. This was one of the most boring NYT solving experiences I've had in a long time. I cringed when I saw the multipart Q@A clues, but was hoping for some sort of payout to make up for it. There wasn't. Even had I noticed that the clues were all double dactyls at some point, that wouldn't have made it more enjoyable. If there is something interesting going on in the grid that makes the solving easier once you see it, that can make it more fun to solve. However, a constraint imposed on the clues makes no difference in the solving experience... if you don't see it, you suffer through what appears to be unimaginative and boring cluing, and if you do, you just say "Huh, that's interesting", and continue to slog through it. I agree with thursdaysd, the point of a crossword puzzle is to entertain the solver. This didn't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14004893628445235642017-04-07T22:07:31.101-04:002017-04-07T22:07:31.101-04:00@Mr. Benson: "'JEFFerson BEAUregard' ...@Mr. Benson: "'JEFFerson BEAUregard' IS in the NEWS today...". YES indeed, EVERYwhere.<br /><br />@Nancy, another fan of your poem. <br /><br />I was impressed that I finished the puzzle knowing so few of the answers. And now I find that that's not all I didn't know. I'm so much wiser now, almost insufferable. <br /><br />I loved the write-up, the reader contributions, and now I'm enjoying the puzzle. So glad I came here.wcutlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08615799228069705972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33894487776408329752017-04-07T17:37:46.591-04:002017-04-07T17:37:46.591-04:00I never see Mede without thinking of "one man...I never see Mede without thinking of "one man's Mede is another man's Persian."sdcheezhdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05457420125517948430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38942877879060469072017-04-06T23:00:37.092-04:002017-04-06T23:00:37.092-04:00I'm with those who enjoyed the puzzle and LOVE...I'm with those who enjoyed the puzzle and LOVEWD the write up.<br /><br />Amazed at how many did not understand "lay". Have heard or read it used about troubadours, etc. many times over many years.SharonAKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58819777534120067722017-04-06T16:25:40.941-04:002017-04-06T16:25:40.941-04:00Okay, so all of the clues were double dactyls. Wou...Okay, so all of the clues were double dactyls. Would I have had to notice that in order to legitimately finish the puzzle? I hope a legitimate answer is no.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27529538525964253582017-04-06T15:43:33.257-04:002017-04-06T15:43:33.257-04:00Ignore themes, take clues with a grain of salt, an...Ignore themes, take clues with a grain of salt, and hope the fill answers what you don't know. WORK THE PUZZLE, HAVE FUN.<br /><br />Surprising how many dactyl lovers there are in the lunatic wing of puzzle solvers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30192727552068639222017-04-06T14:32:15.795-04:002017-04-06T14:32:15.795-04:00This was unusually simple and easy for Thursday, a...This was unusually simple and easy for Thursday, and liked it because it features EMILY DICKINSON.<br /><br />Expected some interesting, tricky gimmick, and the absence of one was a misdirection in itself.<br /><br />Otherwise, there was the tricky spelling of TBILISI, and the stray ARGYLE SOCK.<br /><br />My Natick was the ...DACTYL/LAY crossing. Had "i" instead of Y for a dnf, but I can COPE with that.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49731919690011728202017-04-06T14:04:21.096-04:002017-04-06T14:04:21.096-04:00Waltz through those clues is right. I’ll have that...Waltz through those clues is right. I’ll have that ¾ time beat in my head all day. Damn clever stuff. <br />One write-over spelling the fastest Olympian USeINBOLT at first. Don’t know why.<br /><br />Some of my socks and sweaters have lozenges? <br /><br />I was scheduled to visit TBILISI (I’ve seen it spelled TBLISI) in September ’06 with a certain Azerbaijanian MISS, but I had to cancel due to surgery to put my left arm back together. Nevermore SLEPT with that one THERE.<br /><br />Agree that DEBRA Winger is of yeah baby status.<br /><br />Fine puz and only one MESSI square. I could play along to those clues with my TUBA.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78718985969178093122017-04-06T13:25:59.648-04:002017-04-06T13:25:59.648-04:00Usually, long quotes or Q&A puzzles are not my...Usually, long quotes or Q&A puzzles are not my favorites, for the reasons Laura explained. But once I got going, this was not half bad. Had two possible Natick places - MEDE and ARCADE (don't play Centipede...), and ESPANA and UNI. Guessed on the latter, ARCADE finally jumped out at me.<br /><br />DACTYYL was lurking in a remote corner of my brain that is dedicated to my English Major undergrad days - long, long ago. In fact, if you'd asked me out of context what a DACTYL was, I'd guess it was some kind of web-footed creature. Or a webbed foot. Or some such. <br /><br />So a completely solved Thurs. Off, soon, to a luncheon. Whoo hoo!<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90992952031484525382017-04-06T12:13:24.958-04:002017-04-06T12:13:24.958-04:00MESSI LGBT ACTS
ISEE EDKOCH HASANAMETHAT’S OFUSE ...MESSI LGBT ACTS<br /><br />ISEE EDKOCH HASANAMETHAT’S OFUSE to except<br />when ASKing with which AIDE he LAY and/or SLEPT.<br /><br />--- MISS DEBRA KAY RAE<br /><br />(no DOUBLEDACTYL)<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89218735678178601042017-04-06T11:21:12.912-04:002017-04-06T11:21:12.912-04:00Higgledy piggledy
What were we thinking of
When we...Higgledy piggledy<br />What were we thinking of<br />When we elected him<br />President Trump?<br /><br />Soon he will do something<br />Unconstitutional;<br />Then they'll impeach the guy<br />Out on his rump.<br /><br />Sorry folks, couldn't resist. No more political stuff. The late great Isaac Asimov, in his monthly Science Fiction Magazine, ran a contest for those DOUBLEDACTYL poems. Like many of the examples here today, each one had to include one line consisting of a single, six-syllable word--in rhythm, of course. Pity The Donald hadn't yet risen to national office.<br /><br />No, I didn't spot it either. Filling in the grid was a CAKIER (ew!) piece of cake than Thursday-usual, but the thing in the clues flew right over my shiny head. I did wonder about those "is"'s, but I guess I didn't wonder hard enough. So, did I F or not? Perhaps extra credit might tip the scale toward yes.<br /><br />I did enjoy doing this, and it includes a very fine DOD in DEBRA Winger. As the Masters begins, give him a birdie.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45289646984620899552017-03-02T21:58:49.592-05:002017-03-02T21:58:49.592-05:00@Pete, "nephew"? Wonder what Milo calls ...@Pete, "nephew"? Wonder what Milo calls his "nephews"?Oldflappyfrommississappynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6514744470572540612017-03-02T21:46:36.728-05:002017-03-02T21:46:36.728-05:00You can't swing a dead cat around here without...You can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting someone wearing a Messi shirt. My "nephew" even named his fish Mess I<br /><br />Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6647146404423554952017-03-02T21:20:50.307-05:002017-03-02T21:20:50.307-05:00DACTYL? WTF.? I finished this, despite not know...DACTYL? WTF.? I finished this, despite not knowing what a dactyl is. Space Is Deephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03799838582935195126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23221403726767589542017-03-02T19:14:23.850-05:002017-03-02T19:14:23.850-05:00The writeup was brilliant.
The puzzle sucked.The writeup was brilliant.<br />The puzzle sucked.A Listenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13918398009169854353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86760068822184038052017-03-02T19:11:05.833-05:002017-03-02T19:11:05.833-05:00Blech.Blech.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10032302346488486116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81362337600962881052017-03-02T18:42:50.859-05:002017-03-02T18:42:50.859-05:00@Leapfinger, no, those are dactyls, as is the word...@Leapfinger, no, those are dactyls, as is the word "anapest." Anapests have the stress on the last syllable. But anyway, "Lord" is not really part of Tennyson's name, although I thought so until I was about 30.<br /><br />I was going to make a joke about getting a LAY from a troubadour, but @M&A beat me to it.<br /><br />I utterly failed to notice that the clues were double dactyls; then I read @Laura and thought it was only the theme clues. I like Jeff Chen's suggestion, via @mathgent, that it would have been a better puzzle if there had been a hint of that -- but still, once I knew, I liked it a lot.<br /><br />Two things, though -- don't OSTEOPATHs maniputlate bones? And isn't the Idaho motto "Famous potatoes?"<br /><br />@chefwen, pretty clever to give your polydactyl cat "Paddy the Wonder Cat" a double dactyl name, even though you pretend you didn't know what you were doing!jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72655721353529316892017-03-02T18:33:34.470-05:002017-03-02T18:33:34.470-05:00As a deceased friend of mine wrote, many years ago...As a deceased friend of mine wrote, many years ago:<br />"Yesterday unicorn is a double dactyl. Double dactyl is a twin trochee. Twin trochee is two bangs and a sqush. Or a rush of air."<br />Rest ye easy, Peter Howe.<br />Peter Strausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06513760726334022212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76278639501549354902017-03-02T18:15:57.261-05:002017-03-02T18:15:57.261-05:00I know it's been said, but Messi is the best a...I know it's been said, but Messi is the best active player of the most popular sport on the planet. Someone said Tom Brady and LeBron James rolled up into one. That's probably about 1/4 of how famous he actually is. He also plays for the third most valuable sports team on the planet, Barcelona (behind the Dallas Cowboys and Real Madrid), and quite possibly (forgive me if there are any Ultras out there) the most storied. Doesn't mean you should know his name (though now you do) but as fill, he hits a bunch of sweet spots. Also, even if you don't watch soccer, I encourage you to dial up a highlight reel of his work on YouTube. He's a magician.<br /><br />Last bits of trivia:<br /><br />1) he's pretty small, and his nickname is La Pulga. Look it up.<br /><br />2) when he was young his coach used to give him a cookie for every goal he scored. He scored way too many, so the coach changed the rules: he would get two cookies for every goal he scored by heading the ball into the net. Next game, he dribbled the ball through defenders and past the goalkeeper, chipped the ball up with his foot and headed it into the net.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00091221733880813910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45674926160350637602017-03-02T17:38:19.499-05:002017-03-02T17:38:19.499-05:00@anonymous 12:36 pm, I don't know if you meant... @anonymous 12:36 pm, I don't know if you meant me in your MESSI comment but thanks you just in case. Not only did I not know it was a player's name I took it for an Italian team's nickname, totally missed Argentina, didn't slow me down a bit. I just write slow anyway.puzzle hoardernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35439720635579791282017-03-02T16:56:53.162-05:002017-03-02T16:56:53.162-05:00@ Teedmn:
Guess I didn't check enough dictio...@ Teedmn:<br /><br /> Guess I didn't check enough dictionaries? That LAY thing was driving me crazy.<br /><br />Merci beacups!Obtuse Ottonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59509905041361038502017-03-02T16:50:49.914-05:002017-03-02T16:50:49.914-05:00@Leapy - Hemingway and Key West, Polydactyl kittie...@Leapy - Hemingway and Key West, Polydactyl kitties as far as the eyes can see. Loved it!chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44426354964645394022017-03-02T16:38:56.460-05:002017-03-02T16:38:56.460-05:00Amphibrach?!Amphibrach?!Dolgohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881395438982320077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64696389518475825082017-03-02T16:37:12.154-05:002017-03-02T16:37:12.154-05:00As in "The Lay of the Last Minstrel"As in "The Lay of the Last Minstrel"Dolgohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881395438982320077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17840432820227315872017-03-02T16:35:08.294-05:002017-03-02T16:35:08.294-05:00@Nancy....
Never was a king so-----,
Never was a k...@Nancy....<br />Never was a king so-----,<br />Never was a king so courtly.<br />You are full of surprises!.....GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.com